Putin to attend opening ceremony of World Youth Festival in Sochi

Russian President might give a speech and meet with young people on the festival’s opening day

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MOSCOW, October 14. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend the opening ceremony of the 19th World Festival of Youth and Students in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi on Sunday, the Kremlin said on Saturday.

"On 15 September 2017, President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin will attend the opening ceremony of the 19th World Festival of Youth and Students, due at the Bolshoi Ice Palace, and also will talk with participants," the Kremlin press service said in a statement.

Earlier, Dmitry Peskov, the presidential spokesman, said that Putin might give a speech and meet with young people on the festival’s opening day.

Russia hosts the 19th World Festival of Youth and Students on October 14-22. The official opening and main events will take place in Sochi’s Olympic Park on October 15-22.

Taking part in the forum would be more than 20,000 young men and women, including 10,000 foreigners. Nearly 180 countries applied for participation.

During the first days of the festival 2,000 foreign guests will tour 15 regions of Russia under an unprecedented regional program.

Moscow hosted two world festivals - in 1957 and 1985. The 6th World Festival of Youth and Students in 1957 was the largest-ever, with 34,000 young men and women from 100 countries taking part.

The Russian news agency TASS is the festival’s general information partner and official photo host.